Fiesta Airways: Private Plane Charter in Davao City

It doesn’t need sound science to know that the airline industry in the Philippines continues to be a booming business. In fact in Davao, aside from the regular commercial flights, there are secondary players in the industry that fill in the market niche of what major airlines missed out and does not serve.

Fiesta Airways, Davao’s home grown airline company has recently added a GA8 Airvan, a single-engined utility aircraft manufactured by GippsAero of Australia, in their fleet to cater the growing need for private plane charters. The airvan can be chartered for PHP36,000.00/hour regardless of what cargo you bring onboard as long as it is not prohibited and does not exceed the maximum take-off weight of 1,800 kg.

The Airvan can be chartered to fly around Mindanao and Visayas. It can also fly out to Manila but because it has a smaller engine, the flight requires a stopover in Cebu.

With this new aircraft acquisition, Fiesta Airways now caters to various markets; The airvan can be chartered for aerial tours, for businessmen/VIPs who want to skip long road trips, politicians who do not want to miss their engagements, various freights, sightseeing, observation flights, search and rescue and most of all serve what the company envisions - for medical evacuation or medevac.

“Fiesta Airways is the first in the Philippines to acquire a GA8 Airvan. We’re acquiring additional medical apparatus to equip it fit for patient’s aerial transport. We also plan to acquire additional Learjet 35A to cater the upscale market that wished to charter international flights around ASEAN - Bangkok, Malaysia, Indonesia etc. and even as far as Darwin in Australia,” said Dr. Albert Pingoy, President of AYP Holdings, Inc.

Other than the Airvan, Fiesta Airways also have Cesna 172 that can be chartered for PHP14,000.00/hour.

Fiesta Airways has currently 8 operational aircrafts, two of which are used for charter and the rest for trainings as it also operates St. Alexius College Flight School.

Fiesta Airways invited us for an aerial sightseeing tour. We flew above Davao City and Samal Island and see how the city looks like 500 feet above ground and feel what it’s like onboard GA8 Airvan.

Fiesta Airways: Private Plane Charter in DavaoCity

Prepping to fly above Davao City and Samal Island on board this GA8 Airvan.

But first, a prosperity pose!

This airvan can ride 6 passengers and 2 crew. The seats can be removed

when used for medical evacuation or (medevac).

It has leather seats and the interior is clean and tidy.

Passengers are also briefed with safety instructions before boarding.

Our awesome pilot, Captain Steve M. Maravilla. There are only two of them

in the Philippines who are certified to fly a GA8 Airvan.

He already flew around 100 hours with this plane.

GA8 Airvan Cockpit

Davao City Port from above

That is Kaputian beach club in Samal Island

One of the 7,641 islands of the Philippines.
This is the famed Malipano Island of Pearl Farm Beach Resort.

The Samal Strait. On the left is mainland Davao and on the right

is Island Garden City of Samal.

This is Davao City from above.

I'm so proud of my city. See the green inserts between buildings? Davao City is indeed a green city! I hope the local government, private sectors and the locals will work hand-in-hand to design programs to maintain and retain the trees. I know the best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago but the second best time is now so let's keep Davao green. I can only hope that stakeholders of this city, that including me, won't sacrifice healthy environment to economic development.